Abstract:

1. The Indians at Celilo Falls catch an average of over 2,600,000 pounds of fish each year, in dip nets in a manner very much the same as used by their ancestors. 2. The bulk of the fish caught at Celilo Falls is from the upriver fall run of chinook salmon which spawns in the main Columbia, between Pasco and Rock Island Dam and on the main Snake River between Swan Falls and Marsing. 3. Until the present study, the magnitude of the Indian closed season subsistence catch, averaging 500,000 pounds annually, has been unknown. 4. Most of the fall closed season catch is dried for home use by the Indians during the year although some is sold illegally. 5. The annual average of 50,000 pounds of fish sold directly to tourists is relatively insignificant when compared to the amount sold through regular commercial channels during the open season. 6. The elimination of fixed gear in the Columbia River has increased the percentage of total fish caught by the Indians. In the case of chinooks, the Indian commercial catch increased 8.8 percent. 7. The average annual value of the total Indian catch 1947-1950 is estimated to be $700,000.